Close shave for over 1.5K passengers after fire on express train

PATIALA: More than 1,500 passengers had a narrow escape after a fire broke out in the Karmabhoomi Express near Sarai Banjara railway station in Punjab’s Patiala district on Friday, engulfing three coaches and partially damaging a fourth, officials said.

The train, travelling from Amritsar to West Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri, was immediately brought to a halt after the fire was detected, and the affected coaches were detached from the rest of the train to prevent the blaze from spreading.

According to officials, the fire broke out on the Rajpura-Sirhind railway section when the train was passing near Sarai Banjara railway station.